Poland wants to spend 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense in 2026, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Thursday after a meeting of his EU counterparts in Warsaw.
Galvanized by Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine three years ago, Poland now spends a higher proportion of GDP on defense than any other NATO member, including the United States. It plans for this year's spending to hit 4.7% of GDP.
During the summit in the Polish capital, ministers discussed a "White Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030," aimed at providing a framework for the ReArm Europe Plan and to outline a new defense strategy.
"All ministers... emphasized the importance of this document, the White Paper," Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters.
"We must be ready for the most difficult scenarios and we must be strong enough to prevent war from breaking out... This is an action to make us so strong that it would not be profitable for any country to attack the European Union or NATO."
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the military alliance should spend 5% of gross domestic product on defense – a huge increase from the current 2% goal and a level that no NATO country currently reaches.
During the summit in the Polish capital, ministers discussed a "White Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030," aimed at providing a framework for the ReArm Europe Plan and to outline a new defense strategy.
"All ministers... emphasized the importance of this document, the White Paper," Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters.
"We must be ready for the most difficult scenarios and we must be strong enough to prevent war from breaking out... This is an action to make us so strong that it would not be profitable for any country to attack the European Union or NATO."
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the military alliance should spend 5% of gross domestic product on defense – a huge increase from the current 2% goal and a level that no NATO country currently reaches.
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